Centenary students earn first place in LSUS Scholars Forum
SHREVEPORT, LA — Three Centenary biology students won first place for their poster presentation at the 9th annual Regional Student Scholars Program at Louisiana State University-Shreveport (LSUS) held on April 5. Senior biology majors Alexa Hinojosa, Anacelia Galeano- Balam, and Jennifer Saldana Santiago presented the poster, “The Use of Diverse Anatomical Models Increases Black Students’ Feeling of Belonging and Motivation in STEM Classrooms,” based on ongoing research conducted with Centenary faculty members Dr. Peter Zunick and Dr. Anna Leal.
In the 2022 spring semester, three Centenary biology students working with Dr. Anna Leal – Yosi Bouslog, Jazmine Carroll, and April Jones - were inspired to alter some of the College’s existing anatomical models and diversify the College’s biology lab experience after studying a Harvard University initiative, Addressing Bias in Medical Education through Inclusive Anatomical Representation. The students spent several weeks sanding, priming, and painting two existing models to create a realistic appearance, and then presented an overview of their project and its implications at Centenary’s annual Student Research Conference in April 2022. Over the past two years, additional students have joined the anatomical model project and have presented research talks at multiple academic conferences; have displayed the models at a local science museum and at an interactive STEM fair connected to the annual Barksdale Air Force Base Air Show; and have donated diverse anatomical models to both the Northwestern State University College of Nursing and School of Allied Health and Huntington High School in Shreveport.
The current student team of Hinojosa, Galeano-Balam, and Saldana Santiago built on initial research conducted by students Isabella Brown and Casey Swize in 2022-2023 to study whether the use of anatomical models with different skin tones affects students’ feelings of belonging, self-efficacy, affect, and motivation in STEM classes. Their research found that Black participants in a learning activity utilizing the models reported an increase in belonging and motivation when using a Black model during the learning activity.
“I am so proud of Jennifer, Anacelia, and Alexa for this achievement,” said Dr. Anna Leal, assistant professor of biology and kinesiology. “They worked very hard last semester to perfect the experimental protocol, run the experiments, and collect this data. It is also exciting that we were able to collaborate with Dr. Zunick to validate the use of diverse anatomical models and collect data that shows why representation is important, especially in STEM fields.”
Zunick, assistant professor of psychology at Centenary, reported that he is “thrilled” with the progress that the student research team made during the 2023-2024 academic year.
“Their findings are an important first step in showing that diverse learning materials can serve as belonging cues for people of color in STEM classrooms,” said Zunick. “Similar research has been done on the impact of things like role models, diversity statements, and actual representation (within a major, workplace, etc.). If diversifying the skin tone of anatomical models does in fact increase belonging as these results suggest, that’s one more tool we can use to help make higher education more welcoming for students from underrepresented groups. The fact that this is applicable to STEM classrooms, spaces that can be especially threatening to students’ sense of self-efficacy and belonging, makes this work even more important. The most exciting thing, to me, is that these models may be able to serve as sort of passive signalers of identity safety, helping defuse belonging threats simply by sitting on a shelf in a biology classroom, providing ambient benefits just by being there. That’s an easy, low-key intervention that’s extremely easy to administer.”
Hinojosa noted that the Centenary poster presentation provided insight into a crucial and under-researched area.
“One of my biggest takeaways presenting this research is how important increasing diversity in classrooms can be for students,” said Hinojosa. “Most educators didn’t know this, and it was exciting to see educators excited about this project. Hopefully implicating diversity in classrooms can become the norm soon.”
Saldana Santiago agreed, noting that it was energizing to see other Forum participants interested in the research project, especially those who had not previously been aware of the importance of diversifying anatomical models but are now considering making changes in their own educational settings. She also highlighted the possibilities for the project’s evolution as a result of the students’ participation in the Forum.
“Students and professors at the Forum were able to provide important feedback that could be used to further expand this research project by relating their expertise, such as professors in Health Education and Natural Sciences,” said Saldana Santiago.
“Presenting at the Forum was a really fun experience,” added Galeano-Balam. “We had the opportunity to meet students from many other institutions and learn about their projects as well as present our own. This project reminded me how important work towards diversifying health education is and that there are larger implications in terms of how diversifying health education can positively impact the field of healthcare as a whole.”